About me
About the Provider
Maria Esperanza Rodrigo, MD, is the Medical Director for the Heart Transplant Program and attending physician in the Advanced Heart Failure Mechanical Circulatory Support & Cardiac Transplantation Program at MedStar Washington Hospital Center. She also directs the outpatient LVAD (left ventricular assist device) clinic. As a heart failure and transplant cardiologist, she primarily sees individuals with advanced heart failure, including patients requiring heart transplants and mechanical circulatory support. She also specializes in managing cardiovascular disease during pregnancy, including peripartum cardiomyopathy, and treats patients with infiltrative cardiomyopathies such as sarcoidosis and amyloidosis.
Dr. Rodrigo’s approach to treating patients with heart failure begins with a thorough evaluation to determine the type of treatment they will require. She initially offers treatment with medication, and often further advanced treatments, such as implantation of a LVAD or heart transplantation. Dr. Rodrigo specializes in determining the eligibility of patients for these advanced heart failure therapies. When LVAD implantation is necessary, Dr. Rodrigo is part of a multidisciplinary team that offers patients the latest technology available in the field. Dr. Rodrigo follows these patients in the pre-, peri- and post-surgical period.
With a strong interest in advancing the field of heart transplantation, Dr. Rodrigo is the site principal investigator for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) sponsored Genomic Research Alliance for Transplantation (GRAFT) study, a project across five area transplant hospitals that is exploring the use of cell-free DNA in heart transplantation. She is also the site principal investigator for SHORE (Surveillance HeartCare Outcomes Registry) assessing the utility of AlloMap (gene-expression profile) and AlloSure (donor-derived cell-free DNA) to more comprehensively monitor heart transplant recipients for allograft rejection.
After receiving her medical degree from Universidad Favaloro in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 2003, Dr. Rodrigo completed an NIH research fellowship in cardiovascular disease, during which she focused her work on endothelial progenitor cells. She then joined MedStar Washington Hospital Center/Georgetown University Hospital, where she completed her internal medicine residency in 2009, followed by a year as Chief Resident. Dr. Rodrigo then went on to complete a first fellowship in cardiology in 2013 and a second fellowship in advanced heart failure & transplant cardiology in 2014, both at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital/Washington Hospital Center. She is board certified internal medicine, cardiovascular disease, and advanced heart failure and transplant cardiology.
Philosophy of Care
“It’s important for me to have open communication with each of my patients to understand that person’s wishes, expectations and environment. This helps me to provide compassionate, individualized care that is most appropriate for the patient and their family.
“Patients who come to our program will be receiving the very best care that is available today. We generate a relationship that is long-term with each individual -- the patient becomes our patient for life, and it’s a journey that we go through together.”
Clinical areas of focus
- Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
Conditions and procedures
Conditions I treat
- Advanced Heart Failure
- Advanced Heart Failure (ADHF)
- Advanced Heart Failure (AHF)
- Advanced Heart Failure Care
- Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy
- Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy (ARVC)
- Cardiac Sarcoidosis
- Cardiac Transplant Vasculopathy
- Cardiomyopathy
- Complications Of Cardiac And Vascular Prosthetic Devices
- Complications Of Heart Transplant
- Complications Of Transplanted Organs And Tissue
- Heart Disease
- Heart Failure
- Heart Transplant Rejection
- Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
- Multiple Myeloma With Amyloidosis
- Myocarditis
- Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension
- Presence Of Cardiac And Vascular Implants
- Pulmonary Edema
- Restrictive Cardiomyopathy
- Rheumatic Heart Disease
- Valve Disease With Congestive Heart Failure
Procedures I perform
- Pulmonary Artery Pressure Monitoring
Insurance
MedStar Health accepts most major health insurance plans. If you are uncertain as to whether your individual health insurance plan is accepted at MedStar Health, please call your insurance company.
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List of insurance plans we accept
- Aetna Managed Choice (POS)
- IH-Open POS II
- CIGNA Connect EPO
- Humana Gold Plus HMO
- United Healthcare Navigate Cardiac Global
- IH-Indemnity
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue SNP
- Coventry Health Care National Network PPO
- Options PPO Cardiac Global
- Aetna Classic 5000
- CareFirst EPO
- POS OA
- M.D. IPA Preferred (POS)
- HUMANA/Choice Care Medicare Plans (Choice, Gold Choice)
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Plus
- Aetna Medicare Advantage PFFS Plan
- Coventry Health Care of Virginia
- Private Health Care Systems (PPO)
- DC/MD SHOP QHP Small Business Plans
- BCBS of Michigan (BCN Advantage,Security Blue, Freedom, Medicare PLUS Blue Group PPO)
- HealthyBlue PPO
- MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
- United Healthcare Choice Plus
- Aetna Student Health Insurance
- AMERIVANTAGE/Amerigroup Community Care
- Uniformed Services Family Health Plan
- IH-Open POS Plus
- TRICARE East Prime
- CareFirst Federal Employee Program (Std. & Basic PPO)
- OCI Direct (HMO)
- CareFirst MedStar PPO
- CareFirst MedStar Select PPO
- CareFirst (NCA) Indemnity
- Kaiser Permanente Select
- IH-Network Only Plus
- IH-Open Network Only Plus
- Advantra Platinum (PPO)
- CIGNA PPO Plus
- Aetna Elect Choice/ Open Access (POS)
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PLUS PPO
- United Healthcare Choice
- Anthem BCBS of VA Key Care POS/PPO/Indemnity
- Aetna Advantage 6350PD
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Basic
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage DSNP District of Columbia
- Kaiser Maryland Medicaid MCO
- Lasso Healthcare - Medicare Medical Savings Account
- CIGNA POS/Network POS
- Coventry of Delaware HMO/PPO
- Aetna HMO
- CIGNA SureFit (HMO)
- First Health PPO
- Kaiser Permanente Signature
- Blue Choice Advantage
- Healthy Blue (HMO, POS)
- Medicare FFS
- BCBS Out-of-State Medicare Plans (Blue Advantage)
- Aetna Signature Administrator PPO/TPA
- CareFirst Maryland Indemnity or PPO
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthcare Alliance
- United Healthcare Community Plan - VA Medicaid MCO
- Select HMO/HealthFund/Health Network
- Aetna Better Health of VA
- OA Plus
- United Healthcare Options (PPO)
- Aetna Basic
- Choice POS
- Police and Fire Clinic
- Core Essential (HMO)
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers Plus
- IH-Open HMO Option
- Magellan Complete Care of VA - VA Medicaid MCO
- Aetna Elect Choice/ EPO (Aetna Health Fund)
- Choice POS II Open Access
- HumanaChoice Honor's plan PPO
- UHC Passport
- UHC Group Medicare Advantage Plans (HMO, POS, PPO)
- United Medicare Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plans
- IH-PPO
- Employee Health Plan
- Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO Plans
- Health Services for Children with Special Needs
- Aetna Advantage 5750
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Dual Adv
- Priority Partners - Maryland Health Choice
- Maryland Physicians Care MCO
- CareFirst Blue Card Program
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Plus Open Access (POS)
- Aetna Advantage 6350
- IH-EPO Plus
- United Healthcare Choice Cardiac Global
- Fee-for-Service (FFS) District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia Medicaid
- Private Fee-for-Service Plans (PFFS)
- Humana Medicare Advantage - PPO
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD HMO
- Medicare Direct
- TRICARE East Select
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO)
- IH-Open EPO Plus
- Alterwood Advanatge HMO & DSNP Plans
- Geisinger Medicare Advantage
- Cigna Alliance Medicare (HMO)
- M.D. IPA (HMO)
- Navigate
- HumanaChoice PPO
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage Signature and Select
- Beech Street PPO
- Choice Care Network/HUMANA (PPO)
- Kaiser Permanente HMO Plus and DHMO Plus Member
- IH-Open HMO
- CIGNA HMO Open Access
- Great-West Healthcare POS/CIGNA
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Plus
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice POS Cardiac Global
- IH-HMO
- Network OA
- Amerigroup DC Alliance
- IH-POS Plus
- CIGNA EPO
- Cigna True Choice Medicare (PPO)
- Aetna Managed Choice Open Access (POS)
- CareFirst NASCO
- United Healthcare Select Plus (POS)
- Aetna Traditional Choice (PPO)
- CareFirst FEP Blue Focus
- TriWest Healthcare Alliance
- Choice Fund PPO
- Optimum Choice Preferred (POS)
- United Healthcare Select HMO - EPO/NPP
- Cigna Achieve Medicare (HMO C-SNP)
- TRICARE for Life East
- United HealthCare Community Plan - Maryland Health Choice Program
- Cigna TotalCare (HMO D-SNP)
- MD IPA (HMO) & MD IPA Preferred Cardiac Global
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (POS & POS OA)
- CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Advantage Core/Enhanced
- CIGNA HMO & Network (HMO)
- United Healthcare Select HMO-EPO/NPP Cardiac Global
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthy Families
- Veterans Affairs Community Care Network
- Optimum Choice & Optimum Choice Preferred (POS) Cardiac Global
- Kaiser Permanente Signature - Added Choice
- WellPoint Maryland - Maryland Health Choice
- Aetna Worker's Compensation Network
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthcare Alliance
- CareFirst Community Health Plan of MD
- Kaiser Permanente Select Cardiac Global
- CareFirst Blue Preferred PPO
- IH-POS
- CareFirst Administrators
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (HMO)
- CareFirst Maryland Point of Service Plan
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage
- MultiPlan, Inc
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice 3-tier POS
- Jai Medical Systems - Maryland Health Choice
- CIGNA PPO
- Optimum Choice
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (POS)
- BlueChoice Open Access
- HighMark
- Medicare Advantage - Advantra Value (PPO)
- Cigna True Choice Plus Medicare (PPO)
- UnitedHealthcare and AARP Medicare Complete Plans
- Aetna Better Health of MD
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PPO
- Aetna Open Choice (PPO)
- Sentara Health
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO) Cardiac Global
- Choice POS II
- NYC Medicare Advantage Plus
- Aetna Classic 5000PD
- CIGNA Indemnity
- Kaiser Permanente Select - Added Choice
- United Student Resources
- Aetna Premier 200PD
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Adv. Special Needs Plans
- CareFirst BlueChoice HMO
- Kaiser Permaenete Signature - Added Choice Cardiac Global
- Tricare Reserve Select
- Amerigroup DC Healthy Families
- First Health PPO
- Erickson Advantage Plans
- Aetna Classic 3500
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Standard
- Humana Medicare Advantage - HMO Open Access
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Open Access
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthy Families
- United Healthcare Choice Plus Cardiac Global
- CareFirst Dual Prime HMO-SNP
- Optima Family Care MCO - VA Medicaid MCO
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage prescription drug benefit (PPO)
- Cigna Preferred Medicare (HMO)
- UnitedHealthcare Individual Exchange Plans
- Aetna VA Exchange
- Aetna HMO-Open Access/Select OA/HealthFund/Health Network Option OA
Videos
Education
Board Certification: American Board of Internal Medicine, Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology
Fellowship: MedStar Washington Hospital Center (2014)
Fellowship: MedStar Washington Hospital Center (2013)
Residency: MedStar Washington Hospital Center (2010)
Medical School: Universidad Favaloro (2003)